When Mommy Ends Up on The Naughty List

Emmy was that child the other day at her preschool Christmas party...

After the children put on a short Christmas program, we went downstairs to enjoy cookies and punch.  My husband, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, and her boyfriend were also there (to witness my humiliation).

Santa made an entrance a short time later.  The look on Emmy's face was priceless.  She had just taken a bite of cookie when she spotted Santa.  Her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open.

Needless to say she had no problem abandoning her cookie for Santa's knee. 

Sitting on his lap, her shoulders hunched forward, mumbling what I thought was her Christmas list, I snapped several pictures. 

Her teacher looked at me and laughing said, "Mom I don't know know what you did but Em is telling on you!"  Apparently mommy was on Santa's naughty list, according to my daughter.

After hearing from a friend about how she was holding Santa over her three year old's head, I decided to try it the one day when Em wasn't being particularly nice to her sister. 

I guess I shouldn't have told her that if she wasn't good Santa wouldn't bring her any presents and he would give them to another little girl.

Of course that would backfire! Emmy had sat down in the middle of the kitchen and cried like her little heart would break.  I scooped her up and tried to repair the damage I had wreaked.  Emmy is a sensitive soul and I should have known my child would not take that threat well. 

I explained to her that sometimes while we are bad we have to apologize and try to be good even though it is sometimes hard.  She had to be nice to her sister and to her friends not just because we didn't want to make them sad but because it is the right thing to do.  She doesn't like when they are not nice to her so she needs to remember how that doesn't feel very good. 

I had hoped she had forgotten that day but apparently not since she told Santa!

Needless to say, Mommy has not used that threat since and I don't think she will ever again.  She has certainly learned her lesson.

Sometimes even Mommy slips onto the naughty list.